Legal punishment to intensify for illegal street racers

[webfact]

Legal punishment to intensify for illegal street racers

BANGKOK, 15 April 2015 (NNT) - The Royal Thai Police has been considering heavier punishments for street motorcycle racers, who continued to violate traffic laws during the long holiday period.

Deputy Police Chief Police Lieutenant General Prawut Thawonsiri said the street racing problem usually worsens on holidays where people travel out of Bangkok.

He admitted that the issue has remained unresolved. Over 300 racers took to the streets last night. Street racers closed off Srinakarin Road and began racing from Bangna to Khlong Ton districts.

The Royal Thai Police will enforce heavier punishments, current penalties have so far been ineffective. The Deputy Police Chief added that intercepting them on the road also puts police officers in danger.

More police will be deployed to patrol streets that are often used for illegally racing. People are encouraged to report to the police if they found street racing in their neighborhood.


-- NNT 2015-04-15

[Costas2008]

Did they just realized that there is a need for more strict measures to be taken?

This RTP of ours are really bright cases and have their fingers on the button at all times.

I'm not going to say where else they got their fingers into.

[Norcan]

No need for our erstwhile and steadfast police officers to put themselves in danger.

Sturdy piano wire strung across the street at around 1 metre in height would do the trick.

They can start on the soi where I live if they want to stop these little b@stards.

**rant off**

[bill1369]

I live off of Ploenchit - my gf lives in Bang Khae. When driving to her home at night, she often tells me how terrorized she is by packs of motorcycle racers blocking the street and every car on it. But she goes on down a couple km and there is always a drink drive stop by BIB. When she gets to checkpoint she complains to BIB about the motorcycles and BIB could give a sh*t less. They need their bribes more from 'rich' guys driving cars rather than nit noi from kids. Look up 'joke' in dictionary and find a pic of a BKK cop.

[fritzzz25]

"The Royal Thai Police will enforce heavier punishments, current penalties have so far been ineffective. The Deputy Police Chief added that intercepting them on the road also puts police officers in danger."

- so, I guess taking 200 baht from an offender will go up to 400? Heavier enforcement indeed!!!

- where does the chief expect to intercept them?

Most visitors from other countries have to abide by much stricter driving laws. Even Russia has a significant penalty for drunk driving. (The first such violation will entail driving license suspension for a period of 18 to 24 months and a fine of 30,000 rubles, and a second one, three-year license suspension and a fine of 50,000 rubles. http://tass.ru/en/opinions/763012) It is time that this country steps into the 2015 and enforces laws. Put in place big fines, seize vehicles used in the commission of offences and sell them and put that money back into enforcement.

The only way compliance is gained is through zero tolerance enforcement.

[samsensam]

during the holiday? what about all year round?

let the police know? i was on phetchaburi road one evening, just up from pratunam market, basically in the middle of bangkok and about 30 teenagers were screaming up and down the road racing each other. how could the police not know it was going on? absolutely nothing was done about it.

[seajae]

trouble is that most of those racing come from rich families so the police are loathe to even touch them. Maybe if they start to confiscate and crush the bikes/cars and issue fines of 100,000 plus on these cretins they might start to think twice but this would require the higher ranking police in a lot of cases to arrest their own kids, simply will not happen.

[EvilDrSomkid]

While reading this, I can hear the racing bikes screaming. You have to catch the little buggers first.

[Srikcir]

Legal punishment to intensify for illegal street racers

Is there also ILLEGAL punishment?

Cite Article 44 and take a couple of tanks to crush all the racing motorcycles and cars. Anyone that wants to complain can check in at the Army Happiness Center for a week of orientation.

[gemguy]

Well now...on one hand you do not want to encourage street racing ...but on the other hand there seems to be a need for the racers to race somewhere it is safe...as in a designated area under supervision....as in a authorized drag racing track would help.

Just a thought.

[Rhys]

Ngahh...the RTP ... not looking at this the best way..

Just set off a part of the road, or close it down.. regulate it.. charge a fee .. the RTP can be the starters and wave the flags.. just think... the fees they could charge.. the safety they could provide.. and a clever way to ID the too cool to stop racers..

NEXT.. the RTP should have a Super tricked out bike with RTP rider, who would be egging them on..... the kids could race against.. they would be lining up .. just waiting to show off the low riding skills...

Edited April 15, 2015 by Rhys

[kingalfred]

The RTP have no and deserve no respect . Thai's I talk to never rely on the police for Anything!

[ratcatcher]

Legal punishment to intensify for illegal street racers

Is there also ILLEGAL punishment?

Cite Article 44 and take a couple of tanks to crush all the racing motorcycles and cars. Anyone that wants to complain can check in at the Army Happiness Center for a week of orientation.

I realize that what you wrote was done with a modicum of tongue in cheek or a dose of sarcasm, but surely you might be advocating doing something that would ordinarily only be done in a dictatorship like N.Korea.

Thailand is a reasonably civilized society and I think the powers that be would be sensitive to the fact that many of the street racers would say "Do you know who my father is" or such a statement..It would cause offence to many of the parents of said racers and the government would possibly be afraid of losing support. However I personally think the concept is interesting and it might help if there was a second or third time car buyers scheme like in the past, just to replace the cars crushed under the tank tracks..

[fusion58]

The Royal Thai Police has been considering heavier punishments for street motorcycle racers, who continued to violate traffic laws during the long holiday period.

Great news!

Maybe next they'll do something about the nouveau riche schmucks racing their Ferraris and Maseratis up and down Thonglor Rd. at 3:00 am.

(I kid...I kid!)

[godden]

Blah blah blah blah blah and on it goes.

[jerojero]

BS piled on top of more BS. Action! Take action!

[LuckyLew]

Just keep seizing their bikes

Cannot race if they have no bikes

[WhizBang]

The RTP ARE the problem.

The RTP have allowed this to fester for years without doing a thing. And they wonder why no one pays any mind to them or the laws.

Reform the RTP NOW, starting at the top and working down through the ranks. Reform the enire justice system too, it is a joke in it's current form.

And don't forget to reform the military too. Hey, I can dream, can't I?

[kotsak]

SSDD

[BSJ]

While reading this, I can hear the racing bikes screaming. You have to catch the little buggers first.

Nail strips on the road would slow em down enough. Give somchai in the cell at the cop shop something to do while he is there.....

[quandow]

Are there any LEGAL places for them to race? Back in my home town, they built a drag racing arena and it was a smashing success. Street racing went down (it will never go away completely, nature of the beast), revenue was raised, and there was NO down side to this in any way.

[WitawatWatawit]

Did I read that right? They closed off Srinakharin from Bangna to Klong Ton? That's a major stretch of road. Who would have the power to do that? To defy society on such a level of arrogance? Clearly the police are complicit or simply don't have the cojones to stop it. I'm still shaking my head that these tossers could take over, with impunity, such an important route. It defies belief.

[natway09]

Our Soi had races just 2 days ago. Who was sitting in the bar next door, 2 boys in brown just watching

[richthai]

They have a motorcycle race track in Nakorn Pathum. Seems the problem is consistent enforcement. But, that's true across the board.

[FredNL]

Legal punishment to intensify for illegal street racers

Is there also ILLEGAL punishment?

Cite Article 44 and take a couple of tanks to crush all the racing motorcycles and cars. Anyone that wants to complain can check in at the Army Happiness Center for a week of orientation.

ILLEGAL punishment = 200 THB Tea money every farang gets ripped off when getting stopped by a Mafia gang called RTP just for being a farang.

[tifino]

hey it's Songkran, so why don't the RTP get in on the action, and bring out the anti-protester watercannon trucks, and wipe the bikes away